Jeonju

capital of North Jeolla Province, South Korea

The city of Jeonju was the political, economic and cultural center in the Honam Plain, Korea’s most fertile farmland that encompasses today’s South and North Jeolla Provinces. The first historic records about the city come from the Unified Silla Period. Back then, the city was called Wansanju. After the Unified Silla was divided, Jeonju served as the capital of the late Baekje, one of the kingdoms set up after the breakup of the Unified Silla. Coming to the Joseon period, Jeonju became even more important as the city was the birthplace of the first ancestor of Lee Sung-gae, the first king of the Joseon Dynasty.

Jeonju
전주시
Korean transcription(s)
 • Hangul
 • Hanja
 • Revised RomanizationJeonju-si
 • McCune-ReischauerChŏnju-si
Location in South Korea
Location in South Korea
Coordinates: 35°49′N 127°09′E / 35.817°N 127.150°E / 35.817; 127.150
Country South Korea
RegionHonam
Administrative divisions2 Gu, 40 dong
Government
 • TypeCity Government
 • MayorKim Seung-soo (Democratic)
 • CouncilJeonju City Council
Area
 • Total206.22 km2 (79.62 sq mi)
Population
 (2017)
 • Total652,392
 • Density3,163.6/km2 (8,194/sq mi)
 • Dialect
Jeolla
Time zoneUTC+9
ZIP codes
560011-561870
Area Code+82 63
WebsiteOfficial website

Known as a city with 1000-year history, Jeonju is also promoted as a gateway to traditional Korean culture and gastronomy. The Hanok Village in Jeonju is one of the most famous tourist attractions that many Koreans and foreigners visit every year. The Hanok Village, where traditional Korean houses from the Joseon Period are preserved, offers traditional Korean cuisine, hanji, or traditional Korean paper, and oriental medicine. Tourists can get a hands-on experience at various tourist facilities and historic sites in the city.

UNESCO has officially designated Jeonju as a City of Gastronomy. The flavorful foods Jeonju offers are widely known among Koreans as well, and there are many restaurants in Korea that claim that they have originated from Jeonju. Two most famous foods from Jeonju are bibimbap and a bean sprout soup called kongnamulgukbap. Bibimbap is a dish that mixes rice with sautéed vegetables, meat, eggs, and hot red-pepper paste and offered in a bowl. Different ingredients blend in well to create a harmonious taste. Kongnamulgukbap is a bean sprout soup offered with rice in it. It seems a simple dish to make. But it has a very special taste that also comes from a mix of different ingredients put it to make the soup broth.

Climate

change
Climate data for Jeonju (1981–2010, extremes 1918–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.3
(64.9)
21.9
(71.4)
28.2
(82.8)
31.2
(88.2)
35.1
(95.2)
35.8
(96.4)
38.6
(101.5)
38.3
(100.9)
34.5
(94.1)
30.8
(87.4)
28.0
(82.4)
23.0
(73.4)
38.6
(101.5)
Average high °C (°F) 4.4
(39.9)
6.9
(44.4)
12.4
(54.3)
19.6
(67.3)
24.5
(76.1)
27.9
(82.2)
30.2
(86.4)
31.0
(87.8)
27.0
(80.6)
21.5
(70.7)
13.9
(57.0)
7.1
(44.8)
18.9
(66.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −0.5
(31.1)
1.5
(34.7)
6.3
(43.3)
12.8
(55.0)
18.2
(64.8)
22.5
(72.5)
25.8
(78.4)
26.2
(79.2)
21.5
(70.7)
15.0
(59.0)
8.3
(46.9)
2.2
(36.0)
13.3
(55.9)
Average low °C (°F) −4.6
(23.7)
−3.0
(26.6)
1.2
(34.2)
6.7
(44.1)
12.5
(54.5)
17.8
(64.0)
22.4
(72.3)
22.6
(72.7)
17.1
(62.8)
9.8
(49.6)
3.5
(38.3)
−2.2
(28.0)
8.6
(47.5)
Record low °C (°F) −17.1
(1.2)
−16.6
(2.1)
−12.2
(10.0)
−3.9
(25.0)
2.2
(36.0)
8.2
(46.8)
12.1
(53.8)
12.5
(54.5)
4.0
(39.2)
−2.7
(27.1)
−8.4
(16.9)
−15.0
(5.0)
−17.1
(1.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 32.7
(1.29)
40.0
(1.57)
54.3
(2.14)
77.3
(3.04)
91.5
(3.60)
167.9
(6.61)
299.6
(11.80)
277.5
(10.93)
137.6
(5.42)
53.5
(2.11)
50.2
(1.98)
31.1
(1.22)
1,313.1
(51.70)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 9.3 7.8 10.3 8.6 9.2 10.7 15.9 15.5 9.7 6.7 9.1 9.4 122.2
Average snowy days 8.7 5.6 2.7 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 6.7 25.4
Average relative humidity (%) 68.6 66.5 63.7 60.6 65.3 71.3 77.5 76.7 74.1 70.4 69.1 68.9 69.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 151.6 157.7 185.9 211.7 217.9 172.7 136.7 160.6 168.1 194.6 154.5 142.3 2,054.5
Percent possible sunshine 48.7 51.3 50.1 53.9 50.0 39.6 30.8 38.4 45.1 55.6 50.0 47.0 46.2
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration[1][2][3] (percent sunshine and snowy days)[4]

References

change
  1. 평년값자료(1981–2010) 전주(146) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  2. 기후자료 극값(최대값) 전체년도 일최고기온 (℃) 최고순위, 전주(146) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  3. 기후자료 극값(최대값) 전체년도 일최저기온 (℃) 최고순위, 전주(146) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  4. "Climatological Normals of Korea" (PDF). Korea Meteorological Administration. 2011. p. 499 and 649. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2016.